Abstract |
Whilst facing a worldwide fast increase of food and environmental allergies, the medical community is also confronted with another inhomogeneous group of environment-associated disabling conditions, including multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, electric hypersensitivity, amalgam disease and others. These share the features of poly-symptomatic multi-organ cutaneous and systemic manifestations, with postulated inherited/acquired impaired metabolism of chemical/physical/nutritional xenobiotics, triggering adverse reactions at exposure levels far below toxicologically-relevant values, often in the absence of clear-cut allergologic and/or immunologic involvement. Due to the lack of proven pathogenic mechanisms generating measurable disease biomarkers, these environmental hypersensitivities are generally ignored by sanitary and social systems, as psychogenic or " medically unexplained symptoms". The uncontrolled application of diagnostic and treatment protocols not corresponding to acceptable levels of validation, safety, and clinical efficacy, to a steadily increasing number of patients demanding assistance, occurs in many countries in the absence of evidence-based guidelines. Here we revise available information supporting the organic nature of these clinical conditions. Following intense research on gene polymorphisms of phase I/II detoxification enzyme genes, so far statistically inconclusive, epigenetic and metabolic factors are under investigation, in particular free radical/ antioxidant homeostasis disturbances. The finding of relevant alterations of catalase, glutathione-transferase and peroxidase detoxifying activities significantly correlating with clinical manifestations of MCS, has recently registered some progress towards the identification of reliable biomarkers of disease onset, progression, and treatment outcomes.
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Authors | Chiara De Luca, Desanka Raskovic, Valeria Pacifico, Jeffrey Chung Sheun Thai, Liudmila Korkina |
Journal | International journal of environmental research and public health
(Int J Environ Res Public Health)
Vol. 8
Issue 7
Pg. 2770-97
(07 2011)
ISSN: 1660-4601 [Electronic] Switzerland |
PMID | 21845158
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
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Chemical References |
- Biomarkers
- Genetic Markers
- Dental Amalgam
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Topics |
- Biomarkers
(analysis)
- Dental Amalgam
(toxicity)
- Electromagnetic Fields
(adverse effects)
- Environmental Illness
(diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, therapy)
- Fibromyalgia
(diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, therapy)
- Genetic Markers
- Humans
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
(diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, therapy)
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
(diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, therapy)
- Persian Gulf Syndrome
(diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, therapy)
- Sex Factors
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